The driver of a bin lorry that careered into six people and killed them days before Christmas failed to turn up to a disciplinary meeting then resigned and took a job with Glasgow city council, a fatal accident inquiry heard.

The hearing was told that before the council employed Henry Clarke - also known as Harry - they either didn't ask for references or former employer First Bus didn't give one.

It was also heard that during his time working as a bus driver Mr Clarke received a letter from his employers in November 2009 rejecting a letter of appeal to a formal written final warning for 'unsatisfactory attendance'.

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The inquiry heard that bin lorry driver Harry Clarke had received a final warning in a previous driving job

An investigator, pictured, demonstrated how fellow workers could have operated the bin lorry's handbrake to bring the vehicle to a halt as it careered out of control after driver Harry Clarke appeared to black out

The fatal accident inquiry was shown footage from inside the crashed truck, including this bottle of beer

During the evidence of Douglas Gellan, the cleansing manager for the city centre, the inquiry was told that in August 2009 Mr Clarke was off work with vertigo.

The inquiry at Glasgow Sheriff Court into the deaths of six people who died on December 22 last year, days before Christmas started on July 22, exactly seven months after the crash.

The six were killed when a bin lorry careered into them on Glasgow's Queen Street.

Jack Sweeney, 68, his wife Lorraine, 69, and their 18-year-old granddaughter Erin McQuade, all from Dumbarton, were among them.

Gillian Ewing, 52, from Edinburgh, Jacqueline Morton, 51, and 29-year -old Stephenie Tait from Glasgow also tragically lost their lives.

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The cause of death for all six was 'multiple injuries due to a road traffic collision' which was read to the court as part of a joint minute.

My Gellan was giving evidence today for a third day at the inquiry.

He was shown a letter by solicitor advocate Ronald Conway, for Stephenie Tait's family, sent to Mr Clarke on December 29, 2010 notifying him he was suspended from First Bus for running ahead of time, and inviting him to a disciplinary meeting.

The lawyer said to the witness that Mr Clarke didn't attend the meeting with his bosses.

He continued: 'He, in fact, handed in his notice and commenced employment with Glasgow city council on January 5, 2011.'

Mr Gellan was asked if that was something that he would expect First Bus to mention, if inquiries had been made.

He replied: 'I would hope so yes.'

The inquiry heard that Mr Clarke failed to turn up to a disciplinary hearing held by his previous employer

The inquiry had heard that Glasgow Council had not checked Mr Clarke's references before employing him

Mr Clarke had worked as a bus driver with First Bus, but faced dismissal for 'unsatisfactory attendance

Mr Conway said: 'The employment record of Mr Clarke from Glasgow city council does not contain any references from First Bus.

'Might there be an explanation for that?'

The witness replied: 'I'm not aware of any of the process.'

Mr Conway asked: 'Someone has blundered, either someone at First Bus who has singly failed in their duty to members of the public.

'Or someone in Glasgow city council who has carried out a grossly incompetent process. That's the only two alternatives.'

The witness replied: 'It seems to be, yes.'

During his evidence Mr Gellan was shown a letter from First Bus to Mr Clarke dated November 27, 2009 to say they had rejected his appeal against a formal written final warning.

The letter claimed Mr Clarke had been given a formal warning in September of that year and two oral warnings in July and April.

It stated 'your attendance at work is unsatisfactory' and said he had been off on two separate occasions for one day at a time due to sickness and 'failed to report for duty on time on five occasions'.

The inquiry heard Mr Clarke claimed he had 33 years of experience with no serious endorsements

The letter from Mr Clarke appealing the decision which argued was 'too severe' and that he could have been off for a month but asked for 10 days 'thinking about his work'.

Mr Conway put to the witness Mr Clarke 'may have suffered' from vertigo for two weeks in April 2009.

He asked: 'Would that be a factor that might have weighed with you?'.

The witness replied: 'Yes.'

The lawyer added: 'Given that he's driving a bus.'

Mr Conway put to the witness he had seen his absence record, disciplinary record and heard about his 'honesty and integrity'.

He said: 'You would never have let him near the wheel of a minibus or bin lorry.'

The witness said that they would have taken everything into account before deciding whether to employ Mr Clarke or not.

The inquiry was shown the document filled in by Mr Clarke in July 2010 for the post of driving children with special needs to and from school.

It detailed he had worked for Hays as an LGV driver between 1997 and 2000 then worked for DHL national grid between 2000 and 2008.

In the application he wrote: 'I have been driving LGV/PSV vehicles for the past 33 years with no serious endorsements.

'I have worked driving buses in Glasgow 10 of those. I am fit, good at working with members of the public and very reliable.'

In the application he added: 'I hope you will consider me for an interview as I would be an asset to your department at 53-years-of-age.'

At another part of the application he wrote: 'I would be as comfortable as the passengers on the bus.'

In earlier evidence it was heard that Mr Clarke had his licences returned to him in April this year but revoked again in June.

The inquiry heard there was no 'seasonal risk assessment' carried out for the bin lorry route at Christmastime and the extra people in the city centre at that time.

During re-examination by solicitor general Lesley Thomson QC suggested to Mr Gellan that 'if that had been taken into account' that the drivers may have been told not to use the roads that lead to George Square.

She put to him: 'If that had been done, that goods vehicle would not have been on that street at that time.'